Soil Association report highlights the urgent need to join up local food producers with local public sector procurement systems

The report ‘Can regional food systems feed the public plate?’ sets out to understand the capability of farmers and other regional food producers to supply UK schools, hospitals, and other public sector caterers through existing supply infrastructure. Several barriers were identified, along with a series of recommendations that show regional supply chains for the public sector could provide a solution to many of the issues the country is currently facing, including positive impact for the environment as well as local social economic development. 

Eight key findings: 

 1. The complexity of procurement demand and a lack of transparency is a barrier
 2. Public procurement can be an attractive alternative route to market for regional food businesses
 3. Matching the scale of demand with available supply is a challenge for procurers
 4. Cost and pricing is vitally important
 5. A fundamental shift to regional sourcing is limited by seasonality in UK food production
 6. The buying process needs to be simplified with more flexibility
 7. Support measures are required, including stable and reliable demand
 8. Proposed New Government Buying Standards that include requiring procurers to purchase at least 50% of food from local or environmentally enhanced producers is challenging but broadly welcomed 

The report states that "the potential of the food manufacturing sector has long been overlooked by policymakers, particularly in terms of its contribution to regional and local socioeconomic development."

In a series of recommendations, the author, Dr Adrian Morley identifies "that connecting regional producers to public sector procurers, either as second tier suppliers, or through direct supply should be a priority." which would in turn require "a fundamental shift in practice for the sector." It is suggested that support for this agenda should "come through the roll out of flexible opportunity building procurement such as through dynamic food purchasing systems as well as the provision of incentives through post-EU policy reform." 

The report identifies that "fruit and vegetable production is clearly the sector that has both suffered a decline in business numbers" whilst also playing a "key role in regionalising food supply, particularly when considering public health and carbon emissions. It is recommended that existing horticultural support mechanisms, such as the producer organisation scheme, should be reinforced and better oriented towards supporting market entry into the public sector. Moreover, support for growth in the horticulture sector should explicitly include consideration of production and infrastructure gaps at the regional level."

The report concludes by calling for the Food Data Transparency Partnership, recently announced as part of the UK Government Food Strategy, to have "the capacity and powers to bring about positive change in what we know and how we use food system data. This needs to be developed in partnership with both industry and the champions of consumer and environmental rights." 

The topic of local supply chains for food procurement has increasingly been in the spotlight over recent weeks with shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables hitting supermarket shelves across the UK. This, along with the recent pledge from Labour that 50% of all food bought by the public sector will be produced locally and sustainably, and the work being done by the current government in the proposed new Government Buying Standards, shows how urgently investment and system change is needed into this crucial part of the UK wide food system. 

“Empty supermarket shelves are a clear sign of a broken food system. With the climate crisis escalating, the government must reduce our reliance on food imports and do more to support sustainable food production here in the UK. Although we all need to eat more seasonably, it is no coincidence that these food shortages also come alongside news of the lowest rates of domestic production of salad, including cucumbers and tomatoes, since records began in 1985. 

Fairer, more localised supply chains also hold a key part of the answer to the interlinked climate, nature, public health, and cost-of-living crises. Our schools, hospitals and other public settings should also be serving and creating more of a market for sustainable, British food.” 

Rob Percival, Head of Food Policy Soil Association 

Soil Association’s work on sustainable procurement and supply chains 

As the Soil Association we work on many fronts with regard to localised supply chains. Our work spans the food system from farmers and growers to procurers, and we have a specific interest in the environmental, social and economic benefits of local supply chains. 

A particular area of focus is public sector procurement due to the scale (measured at 5.5% of UK food service turnover) and the reach (a quarter of the UK population consume at least one public sector meal a year) and the ability to feed some of the most vulnerable in society (children, elderly people or those who are unwell). Through our Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) catering scheme we have a mechanism for encouraging local food procurement and we’ve seen significant impact from this scheme over the years with public sector caterers including more and more local produce in their menus. Our teams work in partnership with caterers to design menus that specifically support regional produce. 

“The research that we commissioned recommended that investment is crucially needed to facilitate the mapping and coordination of local food producers in areas where there is willingness from public sector procurers. This research has mapped regional supply and public sector demand, and we aim for the findings to be used to inspire those working within this space to see what can be achieved with the right funding and support.” 

Ruth Galpine, Associate Director of Healthy Sustainable Diets, Soil Association 

The Soil Association’s key policy asks: 

1. National and local governments should incentivize and facilitate the development of shorter supply chains, including capital investment in regional and local supply chain infrastructure.
2. An ambitious horticulture strategy to support British fruit and vegetable production and consumption.
3. Implementation of the proposed Government target for 50% of public food spend to be on food produced locally or certified to higher environmental production standards, such as organic. To enable this, a public procurement system should be implemented that supports SMEs entering public sector contracts.
4. As recommended in the National Food Strategy, the Government should implement an accreditation scheme, such as Food for Life Served Here, that supports caterers in providing healthy and sustainable food and putting menus together showcasing local and seasonal produce 

Get in touch if you’d like to know more about how Food for Life can support you with sustainable procurement and regional sourcing: clongden@soilassociation.org

With thanks to 

We would like to thank Aurora Trust for funding this important piece of work and Dr Adrian Morley of Manchester Met University who conducted the research.